"It's like Bible school Native American style."

My Iowa friend, Rebecca has arranged for us to take part in the Miner's Creek sweat lodge and spiritual retreat in Iowa this June. When she mentioned it I didn't even hesitate. I've always been very open minded to new experiences and plus it's an over-due opportunity for us to spend some time together. After I heard her stories, my curiosity had the best of me. I have all the details now and I must admit, I'm a little nervous. She told me to think of it as Bible school, only Native American style. Okay, that makes sense.

Our guide on this experience is a woman named Starwalker. She is an Ojibwa-Cree Spiritual Healer from Michigan. The first day we are taking part in a sweat lodge ceremony. The purpose of a sweat is to achieve spiritual renewal and purification of the mind, body, soul, and spirit. It's a ceremony that Native Americans have practiced for hundreds of years. It was sometimes used by men to seek guidance and success on their hunting trips. For others it was used as a means to cure illness. We are also taking part in a Naming ceremony the following day. This is to find our Native American name, clan, and colors.

There are different ceremonies taking place throughout the week but we are only doing the ones that are scheduled for the weekend. I have a small list of offering items that I need to get to take with me such as tobacco and berries. There are also strict guidelines as far as what you wear in the lodge, fasting, etc. I'll be sure to report back on this experience as much as I can. I anticipate that it will be an emotional but purifying weekend.